Editorial: Preserve the state ban on Sunday hunting

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Milford Daily News

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Posted May. 28, 2014 at 11:54 PM

Posted May. 28, 2014 at 11:54 PM

» Social News

Massachusetts is blessed with thousands of acres of forest, accessible though hundreds of miles of publicly maintained trails. The hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers of Massachusetts enjoy these natural places in great numbers. A smaller number of hunters enjoy them as well, and the conflicts between the groups are few.

The hikers know that during hunting season, walking the dog in the woods can be dangerous. Itís not terribly dangerous Ė especially if you wear some blaze orange and the hunters exercise the expected caution before pulling the trigger Ė but the chance of accident is there.

But not on Sundays. Nature lovers in Massachusetts understand that if itís Sunday, you can hit the trail armed with just a camera, a water bottle, and your dog on a leash and not worry some hunter might mistake you for a deer. Hunting has been banned on Sundays in Massachusetts since colonial times.

That tradition, and that peace of mind, is in danger in the state Legislature. The House is expected to vote this week on a bill that would weaken the ban by permitting bow-hunting on Sundays during deer season. Hunting with arrows tends to be safer because it's usually done at closer range than shotgun hunting, so hunters are more likely to identify their targets before shooting the arrow. But the chance of an accident would be enough to keep some nature-lovers from being able to enjoy the beauty of the New England woods on a Sunday in autumn.

Repealing the ban on Sunday hunting is the project of a national lobby, the Sunday Hunting Coalition, State House News Service reports, which includes the National Rifle Association, U.S. Sportsmanís Alliance and Bass Pro Shops. Not surprisingly, the lobbyists come with studies arguing that millions of dollars in economic activity would be unleashed if only hunters now drawn to states like New York and New Hampshire could pursue their prey here in the Bay State.

Consider us unconvinced. With due respect to the many highly trained, well-intentioned and careful hunters out there, we understand some peopleís reluctance to take their dogs, horses and children into the woods during deer season. A few more dollars spent at Bass Pro Shops is not worth erecting signs declaring "hike at your own risk" 24/7 on public conservation lands.

Hunters and hikers have always been allies in land conservation efforts. They share the stateís forests and fields six days a week, and can share them on Sundays as well, but the best way to share them on Sundays is by leaving the hunting weapons at home.